Some people won't agree with me when I say the best beat ‘em up game is back, but I’ve always been a fan of Tekken and still think Tekken 3 is one of the best fighting games ever.

Whoever your favourite character are, whither it be Hwoarang, Heihachi, Marshall or Forest Law or even Roger Jr. ( there are over 50 characters to choose from) you’ll feel right at home in TTT2’s Arcade mode.

Take to the stage and battle it out over ten rounds of 2v2, 2v1 or even 1v2 if you choose. But since this is a Tag game 2v2 is best. Pair up with your ultimate TaeKwon Do or Karate team or mix it up with bit of Capoeira and Advanced Bear Fighting with Eddy and Panda and Tag your partner in when health is low or team up for an ultimate double team tag attack that will leave your opponent with a large chunk of health missing. Combat is solid and timing is crucial to pull off a ‘Perfect” round or 10-hit combo. The single tag button allows for easy tag combos even when your half way through a single combo.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

The arenas also play a large part in punishing your opponent. Now there are ‘breakable’ areas that will allow you to kick them over balconies or pound them through the floor to the level below or even trap them against a wall where you can unleash one of your ultimate combos, wait for them to bounce back off the wall and hit them again to finish them off. Visually the arenas are breathtaking, right down to the smallest details.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Characters have also been given a new customisation mode where you can add a little bit of your own character. Dress them up in different clothes, add a sledgehammer to their back and a red rose in their hand. The options are quite endless and you can even use your customised character in the main Arcade mode. Most of these custom options are not available at the start, but every fight you take part in results in money which is used to unlock all the extras.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Customisation mode

Newcomers to the game and even seasoned fighters will appreciate the new story driven Fight Lab mode which starts out teaching you and your Combot basic punches and kicks. It then progresses on to more advanced moves, blocks and combos - the latter becoming very important when playing later levels in Arcade mode as button-bashing will only get you so far.

Other offline modes include, Ghost, Vs, Team, Time attack, Survival and Practice. Outwith the main Arcade mode I found myself playing Ghost mode the most. Here you get to select the difficulty of you opponents for each fight, higher ranked fights will give you more money and rewards.

The online mode has been completely re-engineered and works a treat and I’ve not noticed any lag. You even get to hone your skills on a Mokujin when waiting on a match. Choose from Ranked, Player or Team matches, but watch out, there are some very experienced players out there that will have you crying like a baby because you've not managed to land a single punch before they take you down.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

You’ll probably spend a lot of time shouting at the TV in frustration after being beat down with a chain of unstoppable combos but that all part of the learning process. So spend some time in the Fight Lab and Practice mode learning and mastering characters special combos and you’ll feel great when you pull them off in the heat of battle. Online mode is unforgiving but thats what we expect from a Tekken game. Arcade mode provides great balance, visually stunning backdrops and solid gameplay.